News Archives
October, 2012

A $50,000 grant from the Global Food Crisis Fund for agriculture projects in Haiti will be implemented together with L'eglise des Freres Haitiens (the Church of the Brethren in Haiti). The grant funds a program intended to build on the work of Brethren Disaster Ministries in Haiti over the past three years. Read more »

As the Church of the Brethren Workcamp office prepares for registration opening on Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. (central), the staff would like junior high youth and their parents and advisors to be aware of a new privacy policy that is being put in place. The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) requires any website to get parental permission before collecting personal information from children online. Read more »

More than 150 Brethren from across the US gathered at La Verne (Calif.) Church of the Brethren Oct. 26-28 for the fifth annual Progressive Brethren Conference. The weekend of worship, workshops, music, study, and celebration was built around the theme “Holy Work: Becoming a Beloved Community.” Read more »

A budget exceeding $8.2 million has been set for the Church of the Brethren’s denominational ministries in 2013. The budget was approved by the Mission and Ministry Board in meetings Oct. 18-21 at the General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Also on the agenda were financial updates to date for this year, including giving to the church’s ministries and communications with donors. Ben Barlow chaired the meetings, in which decisions were made by consensus. Read more »

As the relief effort following Hurricane Sandy gets underway, Brethren Disaster Ministries is encouraging Brethren to consider donating to the Emergency Disaster Fund (www.brethren.org/edf ) to support a Brethren response including deployment of Children’s Disaster Services volunteers. Read more »

Brethren Press has published a number of new resources including the DVD “What Holds Brethren Together,” the 2012 Yearbook for the Church of the Brethren on CD, and the winter quarter of “A Guide for Biblical Studies” on the theme “Jesus Is Lord.” Also new and free to each congregation is a DVD of the Annual Report of Church of the Brethren ministries, videotaped at the 2012 Annual Conference. A shipping and handling fee will be added to the listed price. Order by calling 800-441-3712 or go to www.brethrenpress.com . Read more »

“CDS is busy,” reports Judy Bezon. As the storm called “Sandy” assaults the East Coast, Children's Disaster Services has put volunteers on alert and Brethren Disaster Ministries staff are calling for prayer as they monitor the situation. Prayer is requested for all affected by the storm, as it threatens the US after causing damage in a number of Caribbean nations including Haiti--where four Brethren families lost homes--as well as the Dominican Republic and Cuba. Read more »

“Join us on our Holy Land Trip!” says an announcement from the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, which is offering a study tour to the Middle East in June 2013. Dan Ulrich, professor of New Testament Studies at Bethany Theological Seminary, and Marilyn Lerch, coordinator of the Training in Ministry (TRIM) program at the academy, will lend their expertise to that of guides the study group will enjoy through Educational Opportunities. Read more »

Brethren bits remembers three church leaders who have passed away: Bob Greiner, Ralph Royer, and Mary Blocher Smeltzer. Also included are personnel announcements and job openings, along with a capital campaign and fundraising dinners in support of rebuilding burned down facilities at Camp Mack. Anniversaries are noted among much more Brethren news from across the church. Read more »

Plenary sessions and other events at Mission Alive 2012, a conference sponsored by the Global Mission and Service program of the Church of Brethren, will be webcast and viewable through an Internet connection. The conference is Nov. 16-18 at Lititz (Pa.) Church of the Brethren with the theme, “Entrusted with the Message” (2 Corinthians 5:19-20). Read more »

Herman D. Kauffman has announced his plans to retire as Northern Indiana District executive minister, effective Dec. 31. He began his ministry with the district on Nov. 1, 1994, and has served as district executive for 18 years. Read more »

“One People, One King” is the theme for a special worship emphasis in the Church of the Brethren, being planned for Sunday, Nov. 25. Scheduled for an unusual Sunday that falls this year between Thanksgiving and the start of Advent--traditionally called “Christ the King” or “Reign of Christ” Sunday in the church calendar--this worship emphasis invites believers to be reminded, before a season of waiting, of whom we await. Read more »

Older adults may be paying more for medications than they need to if they have Medicare Part D coverage for prescription drugs, reports the denomination’s Older Adult Ministry office. The Medicare website offers tools to help choose the best plan for medication needs during open enrollment, Oct. 15 through Dec. 7 this year. Read more »

Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) Unit 299 completed orientation on Sept. 16-Oct. 5. The fall orientation was held at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. Following are the new volunteers, their home congregations or home towns, and the projects where they will serve through BVS. Read more »

Brethren bits remembers Phill Carlos Archbold, features personnel announcements and job openings, notes a recap of Peace Day 2012 available from On Earth Peace, includes comments from an EYN leader on more violence in Nigeria, and announces a meeting of leaders from the church-related schools with leaders from the denomination and districts--the first such meeting in 30 years--among much more information from across the Church of the Brethren. Read more »

“The Wonder of It All: Using Wonder and Imagination to Feed the Spirit” is the title of a two-part webinar presented as a collaboration of the Church of the Brethren’s Congregational Life Ministries and the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership. This free online event is intended for pastors and other interested church members, and no pre-registration is required.
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The city of Charlotte, N.C., will be a wonderful location for the 2013 Annual Conference, according to director Chris Douglas. In an interview last week at the denomination’s General Offices in Elgin, Ill., she commented on the site for the Church of the Brethren’s 227th recorded annual meeting. Read more »

A new Brethren effort has been put together by denominational staff and districts to respond to needs of farmers and communities following a summer of extreme drought. The Church of the Brethren drought response will be carried out in two parts, a Farm Relief Initiative, and a Community Food Security and Nutrition Initiative. Read more »

Following is initial planning for the 2013 Annual Conference in Charlotte, N.C., on June 29-July 3. See below for information about the theme, leadership, location and facilities, fees, hotel costs, and a special day set aside for spiritual renewal. Additional information will be posted at www.brethren.org/ac as it becomes available.
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The Church of the Brethren took part in a survey by the Protestant Church-owned Publishers Association (PCPA) last spring when Brethren Press joined with 14 other publishing houses to compare how congregations are encouraging discipleship and spiritual formation. Read more »